


Snow

by Lyrishadow



Series: A Very Merry Mass Effect  2020 [6]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:42:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28116363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrishadow/pseuds/Lyrishadow
Summary: Just a bit more fluff from Kaidan Alenko and Egan Shepard.
Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard
Series: A Very Merry Mass Effect  2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2043946
Kudos: 3





	Snow

Kaidan Alenko sat patiently outside the rebuilt hospital in Vancouver. The city was slowly recovering from the Reapers, the hospital and Alliance HQ already towered over some more ruined districts. There were some ash and debris but no snow. He was waiting for Egan Shepard to finish therapy for the week. Weekly appointments were helping Egan get his body back, so far he mostly struggled with his left leg being more pained than the rest.  
"Major Alenko?" A familiar female voice sounded across the courtyard.  
"Dr Michel!" Kaidan was glad to see she had survived.  
"I did not think to see you here?" She said her tone questioning, as she walked over "I hope you are ok?"  
"Oh I'm fine, on leave for a bit but I'm here with my fia...boyfr...I'm here with Shepard."  
"oh!" She paused no doubt processing his clumsy mistakes. "I am glad you two finally got together."  
"Really?"  
"Yes of course. From the moment we met I knew Shepard considered you special."  
"You were being actively shot at…" Kaidan objected  
"Yes, but he checked you first." She smiled "it's fine yes? Also good that Shepard is alive? We were worried.."  
"So was I." Kaidan replied with a heartfelt sigh. "He's recovered fairly well, just therapy for his leg."  
"Oh it reminds me, I know it is silly but I kept something with me in case...I hoped.." She pulled out two small packages and handed them to Kaidan. "Ack i must go. Merry Christmas!!"  
And she was gone, Kaidan left holding the two wrapped items.  
"Whew." Egan sat down beside him, "I thought drill instructors were bad."  
"Any news?"  
"She wants me to walk more."  
"Romantic walks are exercise? Walks with me, right?" Kaidan grinned.  
"I would like that." Egan replied, "walking is my ticket to not needing my cane again until I'm 120."  
"You don't look a day over….60…"  
"Not fair Kaidan, you can run." Egan laughed "what are you holding?"  
"Doctor Michel was here, she gave me a couple of gifts for us."  
"Well that's nice...wait what else did she say?"  
"She said it was good we were finally together."  
"She was being shot at when we met her, then threatened…" Egan's eyebrow shot up questioning  
"Yeah pretty much." Kaidan nodded "She said these were for us."  
"Ok." Egan shook his head confused."People get odd this time of year."  
"Well, I think there was more hope to it that you made it.." Kaidan replied, " People get thankful this time of year."  
"Yeah, I guess they do." Egan smiled, rubbing his hands "Think we will get snow?"  
"A white Christmas?" Kaidan glanced at the sky " Be a nice touch."  
"Is that a thing?"  
"There is a song, my Grandfather used to sing it when I was small." Kaidan closed his eyes remembering "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know." ***  
"Ah, that's a sweet memory," Egan said softly, leaning towards Kaidan.  
"Yeah, this time of year, especially this year, you are sure glad of the people you have, and you miss the ones you don't." Kaidan looked down at the ground. " Egan, do you think Dad is out there someplace waiting to come home?"  
"I don't know," Egan replied, taking Kaidan's hand. " It's a hard situation to know… I wish.."  
"No, you did good, Egan Shepard, don't you start wishing." Kaidan squeezed the hand " Gods I'm just glad I have you."  
"I waited too long for us." Egan replied, " I am glad I have you too."  
"Let's head back to the car, then get out of here." Kaidan gestured toward the road.  
"Hmm." Egan frowned as his omnitool pinged.  
"I thought everyone else had headed home?"  
"They did. Joker and his sister though, are coming next week."  
"Yeah, Mom insisted they come out to the orchard." Kaidan sobered " I find it hard with Dad missing, can't imagine what it was like for both to be missing."  
"Yeah."  
"Hm, it's getting colder?" Egan frowned. " Can we travel through if it snows?"  
"This one can. Mom had it fitted out for the off-road driving." Kaidan shrugged " Besides, I can think of a few ways to keep warm."  
"Kaidan…" Egan replied mock horrified as Kaidan helped him into the vehicle and wrapped a blanket around his legs.  
"Well, I suppose I could wait." Kaidan laughed.  
"Good, because you are driving."  
"What was the message, Egan?"  
"Um, I have my next assignment, it was a message from Admiral Hackett."  
"Do I want to know?"  
"I've been assigned to the Normandy, or it's been assigned to us more exactly, we're Spectres which according to Hackett, as long as I'm still up for N7 work, means the Normandy is ours."  
"Ours?" Kaiden echoed " It needs a lot of repairs,..."  
"Yeah." Egan chuckled "So do I."  
"Ah…. Does this mean no charges for fraternization?"  
"No charges." Egan replied, " Helps a lot that we saved the galaxy."  
"Three times," Kaidan replied with a grimace. "I think we will have a white Christmas,"  
Twenty minutes into the two-hour trip back to the orchard from Vancouver, small white flurries began to slowly sink to the ground.  
"Snow," Egan said in wonder.  
"Yeah," Kaidan smiled.  
" This is the first time since I was young that snow has meant having fun, warm cocoa, snuggling with you, and hope."  
"Hope?"  
"Yeah," Egan stared out the window for some time "when I was lying on the Citadel, trying to stay alive, trying to breathe… I was worried that I would never get to enjoy the simple things, for the first time, that I had left too many things not done."  
"Well." Kaidan turned on autopilot so he could look at Egan. "You are here now, with me."  
"Thanks."  
"We should open the gift from Doctor Michel." Kaidan turned and picked them up from the seat where he left them, handing one to Egan. Peeling off the paper Egan stared at the item surprised.  
"I don't understand?"  
"Locators." Egan smiled "It means that should we ever end up in a mess as we have in the past… we will find each other. It can also clip to our tags. She must have got them after Alchera."  
"Oh, I see." Kaidan nodded, pulling his tags out and immediately clipping it on, Egan followed suit and was soon back to thinking out the window.  
By the time they got back to the orchard, there was a thick layer of fresh snow on the ground.  
"Wow this is nice." Kaidan gestured to the expanse of snow that now lay over the countryside.  
Egan stepped out of the car and sank in a snowdrift. Laughing as he started to dig himself out he made a snowball and with a little help of his biotics lobbed it gently at Kaidan.  
"Egan…!" Kaidan gasped as the cold missile struck. Gathering his own snow he sent one back. Soon laughing they were side by side sitting in the snow.  
"How am I going to get out of this?" Egan laughed.  
"Thing I could be persuaded to help you." Kaidan suggested mimicking Egan's eyebrow raise "In a moment."  
"Are you teasing me Kaidan Alenko?"  
"Would I ever Egan?" Kaidan grinned, moving so he was leaning over Egan, he quickly kissed him.  
"Mmph" Egan replied "Whatever you want is yours."  
"Oh, that was easy." Kaidan laughed "hold on." Kaidan lifted Egan with his biotics.  
"Wow, that is warm."  
"The biotics?"  
"Yeah, oh and thanks, damn leg makes it harder to stand in the snow."  
"Well, I did get a kiss out of it. C'mon, let's go warm up."  
Hand in hand they went inside the house.

**Author's Note:**

> +++ My own actual Grandfather always sang White Christmas when I was a kid, it is one of the very clear memories of him that I cherish - this time of year eh?
> 
> NOTE: I have never experienced snow in my entire life. Despite extensive research I still have no clue how it actually works... yeah I don't know. Gave it a try, hope it works.


End file.
